A Pandaren's Trust
by K. C. Trexler
Summary: When a traveling Pandaren girl saves a Twilight Dragon from being killed by remnants of the Twilight's Hammer, the dragon discovers what it means to have a true friend. But they have little time to get to know each other before a red dragon decides to bring the two before Alexstrasza herself to decide the Twilight Dragon's fate.
1. Chapter 1

World of Warcraft and all related characters are copyrights of Blizzard Entertainment, used without permission. Lily Silentpaw, Cinder the Twilight Dragon, and Kelastrasza are copyrighted to me.

**Author's Note:** This story takes place approximately 3 weeks after the death of Deathwing.

**A Pandaren's Trust**

The sun was setting upon the horizon, casting the shadow of Nordrassil's massive form across the land below. Thanks in part to both the druids of the Cenarion Circle and the help of the green dragon flight, the mountain was almost fully restored to its former glory before the Twilight's Hammer and Ragnaros' forces had nearly laid waste to the landscape. The work had begun almost immediately following the dragon Aspects victory over Deathwing, the Aspect of Death having finally been laid to rest at the end of a terrible battle that had weakened the Aspects considerably, leaving their flights a pale shadow of what they once were. Still, their powers weren't completely gone.

Alexstrasza had spoken with the leaders of both the Horde and Alliance, assuring them that Deathwing was no more before departing to Wyrmrest Temple to help begin repairing the damage that Deathwing's attack had inflicted upon it. Kalecgos had also returned to Wyrmrest to see if there was some way to bolster the Aspects' waning abilities. Nozdormu immediately returned the Caverns of Time to consult the time ways as best he could, though he had grown frustrated with only seeing small glimpses here and there, instead of the time ways being laid out like a book like they had always been to him. Ysera returned to Hyjal to help her flight restore the mountain alongside a few red dragons that Alexstrasza had sent to ensure that the mountain was clear of hostile forces.

But these events had gone unnoticed by one person who was now venturing through Hyjal's forests. As the light of the sun began to fade, and the light of the moon began to become the dominate fixture in the sky, a lone pandaren girl was busy looking for a suitable campsite for the evening. She was in her early twenties, with light brown fur covering her body except for the cream fur that covered her face. A foxlike tail swished behind her as she walked, her body draped in a simple green tunic and loose fitting black pants. A simple wooden staff was attached to her back with a jug dangling by a small rope at the base of the staff. Her long brown hair was tied into a giant ponytail, the bangs draping over her green eyes colored a bright pink.

"I suppose this will work for tonight," said the girl as she came to a small clearing. She started to reach for her staff to take it off her back when the sound of people talking in the distance caught her attention. The pandaren girl immediately began to smile at the prospect of being able to sit down and enjoy some company with whoever the strangers in the distance were. But before she could even take two steps, a loud, bestial cry erupted from the direction the talking had been coming from. A surprised look immediately replacing the smile, the girl started running in the direction of the cry, worried that her newfound company was now in great danger.

* * *

Hastily constructed tents were erected in a small clearing, the giant limbs of the surrounding trees hiding them from view from the air. A giant campfire sat in the middle of the clearing, shedding its light all around, illuminating the great purple dragon that was now lying on the ground with several charred circles burned into its flesh from a barrage of fire spells, an angry glare directed towards the five humans who stood only a few yards away. Four of the humans were dressed in rich purple robes, the fifth in a pure black robe with blood red trim.

"Dragon…We've been doing this even since you were hatched two weeks ago. All you have to do to stop us from continuing to punish you is to simply give in to us and obey our commands," said the human in the black robes. The dragon struggled to get to its feet, but the pain from its wounds was too much for it to bear, and it collapsed into a heap again, yet its glare never left the human's eyes.

"I…will never…submit…" hissed the dragon as best it could in its greatly weakened state.

"Galrok, I think it's time we give up on this thing," said one of the purple robed humans.

"I agree, this stupid dragon's been nothing but a disappointment," said another human.

"Perhaps you are right…" said the black robed human. "After all, what is a twilight dragon that won't listen to its master any good for?" The dragon's eyes opened wide in terror as the five humans all raised their hands towards it, their palms igniting into flames as they all prepared their strongest fire spells.

"I would back off if I were you," said a strong feminine voice from behind the humans. The flames flickering at their fingertips faded away as the five humans turned around to come face to face with a female creature the likes of which they had never laid eyes upon before.

"What manner of creature is that Galrok? A mutant furbolg maybe?" asked one of the humans.

"I'll have you know I am a pandaren," said the creature, her face twisted into a scowl. "I'll also have you know that I am not about to let you kill this creature when it clearly cannot fight back."

"You're welcome to try and stop us if you want, pandaren. However, looking at the odds of five against one, I'd say it would be best if you kept moving and forgot you even saw us," said Galrok.

"I say we kill her anyways. She could let it be known that we're still on the mountain," said one of the other humans. At this, Galrok smiled and raised a hand towards the pandaren, flames reigniting on his fingers.

"I agree," said Galrok.

"If you wish to fight me, I have no arguments. But just so you know, you won't win," said the pandaren.

"We'll just see about that!" shouted Galrok, launching a ball of fire from his hand. The fireball whizzed through the air, but at the last second the pandaren leapt high above the attack, which crashed harmlessly into a tree behind her. All eyes turning to the skies, the other humans all unleashed their own fire spells at the girl. But the girl cupped her hands in front of her, then launched a ball of strange blue energy of her own at her attackers, the fireballs dispersing as they made contact with pandaren's energy ball. The humans all dove for cover as the ball crashed into the ground right where they had all been standing, leaving a small indentation in the ground. The girl then landed in the middle of the indentation. She then charged one of the purple robed humans, delivering a strong hand thrust to his chest, sending the human sprawling several yards across the ground to come to rest in a heap.

"You shall pay for that, insolent worm!" shouted one of the other humans, preparing to attack her with another fire spell. But this time as the spell was sent flying her way, she instead curled up into a ball and rolled across the ground, dodging the spell and ending up right at the feet of the human that had launched the attack. Uncurling, she performed a backflip, catching the human in the face with a hard kick that knocked him into the air a few feet before landing hard on his back.

"Enough of this!" shouted Galrok. He then pointed both hands at the girl and chanted a few words in the demonic language. The girl suddenly froze in mid run towards the third human she had set her eyes upon.

"What sort of magic is this!?" she cried, struggling to move any part of her body, but finding it impossible to do so. Galrok chuckled as he calmly walked up next to her.

"A little something a warlock once taught me. Normally this binding spell is used to keep our dragon bound so there is little he can do to harm us. But at the moment, I doubt he is much of a threat. You, on the other hand, are far more dangerous than you appear to be," said Galrok. "Still, you put up a good fight, so I shall grant you a quick death." He raised his hand towards the girl, another fire spell beginning to form on his hand. "Any last words, pandaren?" A smile crept its way onto the pandaren's face.

"Just one. Farewell," she said. Before Galrok could even begin to make sense of what she meant, he was slammed hard in the side by a powerful blow from the twilight dragon's mace-like tail, instantly killing him even before he made solid contact with the first tree in his airborne flight path. With the caster of the binding spell now dead, the magic was broken as the girl regained use of her limbs.

"The dragon's free! Run for your lives!" shouted one of the purple robed humans. The four of them immediately began to scatter into the forest, leaving the dragon and pandaren girl alone.

"Good riddance," said the girl. A loud groan turned her attention to the dragon as it collapsed, the last of its strength spent on its attack. "Oh no! You are much more injured than I thought!" The girl reached for the jug hanging off her staff, taking it off and unplugging the stopper. She then ran over to the dragon, kneeling down next to its head and offering the jug to it. "Here. Drink this. It will help you."

"Leave me…alone…"whispered the dragon, its eyes barely staying open as it fought to stay conscious.

"Do not argue with me," said the girl softly. The dragon hesistated, then opened its mouth. The girl then poured the contents of the jug into the dragon's waiting maw, the dragon then swallowing what it could of it. It then coughed a few times, before sticking its tongue out.

"That is…terrible…" it whispered.

"It's medicine. It's not supposed to taste good. Now then, rest and I will see what else I can do about your wounds," she said. The dragon watched as she took a few steps away from it, then held out her hands in much the same manner as the humans had when they had wielded their fire spells. _Oh I wish I had studied the arts of the Mistweavers a little more than just those few introductory lessons,_ she thought. The dragon, seeing this stance, tensed in preparation of what it surely thought would be painful. But instead, a strange green mist began to emanate from the pandaren's hands. It slowly engulfed the dragon, who winced at first, expecting the mist to hurt, but it instead felt soothing to the touch. The girl glanced down at the dragon's eyes, seeing it was still awake. "I told you to rest. I will watch over you incase those people return." The dragon sighed before closing its eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

An hour later, the pandaren girl sat at the edge of the campfire left by the humans, the dragon resting off to her side. The wounds inflicted by the humans' fire spells had been healed thanks to the girl's healing mist. A grunt coming from the dragon's mouth caught the attention of the girl, who glanced over at the great beast. She watched as its eyes slowly began to blink open, then suddenly open wide as it sprang to its legs, fire flickering in its mouth.

"Where are you Twilight scum!?" it cried.

"It is alright. They have not returned," said the girl, catching the dragon's attention. Suddenly recalling what it had witnessed the girl do, the dragon's tense stance relaxed.

"That does not surprise me…They are cowards at heart," said the dragon, wincing as pain shot through its body.

"Take it easy, my friend. Your wounds may be healed, but your body still requires rest to fully recuperate," said the girl. Nodding, the dragon laid back down.

"So…Why did you do it?" asked the dragon, looking at the girl.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Stand up for me," said the dragon.

"How could I not?" asked the girl, looking back into the flames of the fire. "No one deserves to be treated like that, no matter what the reason."

"I see…" said the dragon. "You _do _realize I am a twilight dragon?"

"I had a feeling you were from the stories I've heard over the last few months of purple dragons wielding terrible powers," said the girl, still not taking her eyes off the fire. "But why should that matter?" At hearing this, the dragon cocked its head, now wondering if the person before it was unclear of his flight's purpose or was just plain insane.

"So then…You do not fear that I will kill you now that I am healed and go on a warpath of death and destruction?" asked the dragon. At this, the girl finally turned and faced the dragon, a smile on her face.

"I do not. I saw you denounce what I'm guessing was the Twilight's Hammer, so you cannot be as evil as the stories say," said the girl. "And as I said, no one should go through that kind of suffering, even if they are evil." At this, the dragon cracked a grin.

"A heart that does not judge by outward appearances…Very rare indeed this day in age," said the dragon.

"It is a lesson all us pandaren are taught. To live life to the fullest, never judging others by what you have been told, but by personal experiences with those people that you share," said the girl. "You saved my life, even if you were doing it without thinking about it. I owe you a great deal more than I could ever repay."

"I think the debt has been paid in kind, dear girl," said the dragon. "May I ask your name, so that I remember the person who freed me from my shackles?"

"Of course. My name is Lily Silentpaw, windwalker monk of the Shang Xi monastery on the Wandering Isle," said the girl.

"Lily? A nice name," said the dragon.

"And what is yours, if I may ask?" asked Lily. At this, the dragon lowered his head, looking away from her.

"I was never given a name. The human who tried to control me told me I'd have to earn my name by obeying him," said the dragon.

"Then I shall name you, if that is okay with you?" asked Lily. At this the dragon chuckled.

"I do not have a problem with that," said the dragon.

"I find it odd that you wouldn't have a problem with that," said Lily, arching an eyebrow at the dragon.

"I'm curious to know what a mortal like you would name a dragon," said the dragon. The girl lowered her head in thought for a little bit, then raised it as a name came to her.

"Okay. I thought of one, but do tell me if it sounds bad," said Lily.

"I will," said the dragon.

"Cinder," said the girl.

"Cinder…" repeated the dragon. He reflected on the name for a short time, then nodded his head. "It is not a terrible name. I can think of a few worse ones, honestly."

"Is it acceptable?" asked Lily.

"It is. Thank you for naming me," said the dragon.

"My pleasure Cinder," said the girl. The two sat in quiet for several more minutes, then Lily looked over at Cinder again, this time with a question filled look on her face. "So what will you do now?"

"I do not know," said Cinder, looking down at the ground. "My kind is pretty much despised across the whole of Azeroth after the atrocities my brood has caused."

"Which makes me wonder why you are so nice considering you're a twilight dragon," said Lily.

"That is a question I would like answered too," said a female voice from behind the pair. Cinder quickly rose to his feet and walked in front of Lily, growling loudly as flames flickered at the corners of his mouth as he stared down the high elf that now stood behind them. She was dressed in a red robe with purple trim, her white hair flowing down her back to her waist. Her eyes, however, held a fiery glow behind them that was uncharacteristic of the elves.

"You…I smell the scent of another dragon on you, stranger," said Cinder. "Are you another twilight dragon come to kill me for going against our kind?"

"I am nothing of the sort, twilight dragon," said the high elf.

"Then who are you?" asked Lily.

"Dear me, where are my manners?" said the high elf. She then bowed to the pair. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kelastrasza. One of the keepers of Wyrmrest Temple."

"A red dragon?" asked Cinder.

"Yes. And a much more curious one than most. Normally my kind wouldn't even lay an ounce of trust in one of your flight," said Kelastrasza. She then motioned at Lily. "But this mortal girl has shown you more trust than I've ever seen anyone give a twilight dragon. And you have, in return, given some of your trust to her."

"Cinder saved my life from the Twilight's Hammer. He is not like the others of his flight," said Lily.

"He did?" asked Kelastrasza, letting amazement wash over her face. Quickly collecting herself, she returned her attention to Cinder. "Tell me, Cinder, why did you save the girl's life and go against your masters?" At this, Cinder's face grew cold.

"They were _never_ my masters. As for why I saved Lily, she stood up for me first. I couldn't let harm come to someone who was willing to put themselves in harm's way for me," said Cinder.

"I see…" said Kelastrasza. She then shook her head. "Clearly something is different about you, twilight dragon, because you definitely do not act like any of your flight any of us have come across before."

"Is that so bad?" asked Lily.

"No…But, it does present me with a problem," said Kelastrasza.

"And that would be…?" asked Lily.

"We are under orders from Alexstrasza herself to kill any twilight dragons we come across, lest their kind begin to spread again," said Kelastrasza. "But seeing this…good natured twilight dragon has put me in a bad situation."

"Bad how?" asked Cinder.

"Normally I would have no problem killing a twilight dragon, but I cannot in good faith kill one like you," said Kelastrasza. Here she hesistated, but then shook her head softly "But then again...I fear I have little choice." Kelastrasza raised her hands towards Cinder, fire igniting on her fingers as she prepared to channel her draconic powers into an attack. But before the attack could be performed, Lily ran in between the two dragons.

"Stop this!" cried Lily.

"Move out of the way mortal. This does not concern you," said Kelastrasza firmly.

"I will not," said Lily with just as much firmness. The flames at Kelastrasza's fingers suddenly swept back over her arms and raced across her body, her form morphing from high elf to that of a dragon that dwarfed Cinder, standing nearly twice his size.

"Do not meddle in affairs that are not your own!" roared Kelastrasza, flames flickering from her mouth.

"You know this isn't right!" shouted Lily, remaining between the two.

"Do not think I won't simply move you out of the way before killing the twilight dragon," said Kelastrasza. At this, Lily took a fighting stance.

"You are welcome to try dragon, but I will not make it easy on you," said Lily. At this, Kelastrasza paused.

"You are really willing to fight to protect this twilight dragon, even against a powerful dragon like myself?" asked Kelastrasza.

"You had better believe it," said Lily, fire glinting in her eyes. Kelastrasza hesitated for a few seconds, then sighed, lowering her head.

"The courage and honor of mortals…never ceases to surprise me," said Kelastrasza. She then morphed herself back into her high elf form. "Still, I cannot simply pretend I did not meet the two of you. Alexstrasza would brand me a traitor if she found out I let a twilight dragon go free."

"Then let me come before the dragon queen," said Cinder. "Let her judge my fate."

"Cinder, she would kill you before you'd have a chance to plea you case," said Lily.

"Your friend is right. After all the damage your flight has caused, Alexstrasza will be very hard to convince to allow you to live, even with me at your side," said Kelastrasza. She then cocked her head as thought passed through her mind. "Still…Alexstrasza might be willing to listen to what your mortal friend has to say about you. Our kind owes a great debt to the mortals of this world after all they have done to defend it against Deathwing."

"If you are asking me to travel to this Wyrmrest Temple with the two of you and speak to the queen of dragons, I would be honored to do so if you think it would keep Cinder safe," said Lily. At hearing this, Kelastrasza smiled.

"You truly have one of the purest hearts I have ever seen. Very few would be willing to face the Life-Binder to defend one of her most hated enemies," said Kelastrasza. She then clasped her hands together. "Alright. I suppose we should turn in for the night then. We have a long flight ahead of us in the morning."

"You're staying the night with us?" asked Cinder.

"I have no choice, I'm afraid," said Kelastrasza as she started walking in their direction. "I am not the only person, dragon or mortal, that is surveying the mountain for signs of our enemies. If I were to leave you alone and another finds you, I doubt they would show you as much restraint as I have."

"I see," said Lily.

"How do I know you won't simply kill me in the middle of the night while I am asleep?" asked Cinder, eyeing Kelastrasza suspiciously.

"You don't," said Kelastrasza as she reached the two of them. "Still, this mortal has given her trust to you, as have I. All I ask is that you place a little bit of trust in me. I promise that if you do not threaten us, I will not threaten you."

"You have not earned my trust, red dragon," said Cinder. He then looked over at Lily for a few seconds, who looked over at him as the two exchanged a silent message between them. He then sighed and looked back at Kelastrasza. "However, for Lily, I will give you a sliver of my trust."

"Very well," said Kelastrasza. She then turned around and walked a few paces away from the two friends before stopping and kneeling down the ground, placing both her hands on the grassy floor of the forest. "The only thing I hate about sleeping in the wilderness in this form is that there is never any comfortable spots unless I make one." Her hands then burst into flames. But instead of the grass burning away from the touch of the flames, it instead started to rapidly grow and flower as Kelastrasza used her magic to cause the foliage to grow into a soft bed of vegetation. The fire then faded from her hands as she stood back up, a few beads of sweat having formed on her forehead. She then turned back to her two companions. "Alright then. We should turn in for the night, because we have a long flight in the morning."

"Are you okay?" asked Lily, noticing the sweat on Kelastrasza's forehead.

"I will be fine. It just takes a little bit out of me to conjure even the most basic of life giving magic since Deathwing's death," said Kelastrasza. "A sacrifice all of our flights made to stop the Hour of Twilight from happening."

"I see. I am sorry for your loss," said Lily.

"It was a necessary sacrifice. Our world survived because of it," said Kelastrasza. She then sat down on the foliage she had grown. "But enough of that. It is time to let sleep embrace us."

"Alright. I shall see the two of you in the morning then," said Lily. She then leapt up into a nearby tree and sat with her back against the trunk on a fairly large branch.

"How can you sleep up in a tree?" asked Cinder, looking up at Lily.

"I have done this since I was thirteen. You get used to it," said Lily.

"If you say so," said Cinder. He then lowered himself to the ground and curled up. "Until the light of the dawn when I shall see you both again."

* * *

The time was nearing 3am, the campfire in the three companions clearing having faded to just embers by now. Lily still sat up in the tree she had chosen, but had not fallen asleep yet. While she wanted to trust that Kelastrasza would not attack Cinder in his sleep, a small part of her was still unwilling to fully place her trust in the red dragon. The sudden rustle noise of leaves caught her attention. At first, she didn't think anything of it. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something about the sound of the leaves was out of place. Suddenly bolting upright as she realized there was no wind, she leapt to her feet on the tree limb. Looking over at where she had heard the noise come from, she spotted the very tip of an arrow coming out of the leaves of a tree on the other side of the clearing. _Oh no! Cinder!_ she thought. Taking her staff off her back, she hurled it as hard as she could towards Cinder's back, the arrow almost instantly firing from the other tree. While the shot was perfectly lined up to pierce the back of Cinder's head, the arrow instead imbedded itself in Lily's staff as it passed into the arrow's trajectory, the attack failing as the staff struck the ground.

"We are under attack!" shouted Lily, instantly causing both Kelastrasza and Cinder to awaken from the noise. The tree the arrow had come from rustled again, followed closely by a further away tree rustling. Lily frowned, realizing what might happen if their attacker managed to get away. Leaping down to her staff, the pandaren quickly retrieved the weapon and strapped it onto her back before running in the direction the rustle noises had come from, leaving both the dragons behind wondering what was going on.

"Stop!" shouted Lily as she ran after the noise of the trees rustling, watching for any sign of the attacker. Realizing she wouldn't catch whoever it was so long as they stayed hidden in the trees, she opted for a new strategy. Coming to a stop, she listened as she timed out how long it took for the person to leap from tree to tree. As the pattern became clear, Lily cupped her hands together in front of her, firing a ball of blue chi energy at one of the trees just past where the last rustle noise had come from, instantly taking off after the ball. As soon as there was a rustle of the leaves in the tree Lily had aimed at, the ball of energy slammed into the tree, jarring it hard. A female voice cried out before someone fell out of the tree and landed hard on their back, crying out in the language of the Kaledorei painfully as Lily ran up beside her. The girl was purple skinned Night Elf, with bright green hair done up in a ponytail. She wore the traditional garb of the sentinels, plus a quiver of arrows on her back and a longbow that she had dropped next to her when she had hit the ground.

"I will not die so easily, Twilight cultist," said the girl as she flipped onto her feet and took a fighting stance.

"Hold on! I am not with the Twilight's Hammer," said Lily, holding her hands up.

"A likely story. I saw how Kelastrasza was being held captive by your twilight dragon," said the girl. "And then you saved the dragon from me ending its life. If that doesn't show you are part of the Twilight's Hammer, I don't know what will."

"Please calm down. Let us talk," said Lily, lowering her hands.

"I will not bargain with scum like you!" shouted the girl, rushing at Lily and throwing a solid punch at her. But the pandaren merely moved slightly to avoid the punch, then moved slightly again to avoid the next one. But on the third such attempt to land a blow, Lily reached up and caught the elf by the wrist.

"I said, please calm down," said Lily, pushing the night elf away from her, causing the girl to loss her balance and fall to the ground. Lily then removed the staff from her back, twirled it a few times in her hands, then took a fighting stance with the weapon. "I do not wish to harm you, but if you continue to attack me, I will defend myself."

"Enough!" shouted Kelastrasza's voice from above the two girls, causing both to look up in the sky to spot Kelastrasza flying down to the two of them. The night elf girl quickly got back to her feet, but otherwise remained stationary. As the dragon landed, Kelastrasza reverted back to her high elf form. "Koela Windsong…I thought you were back at the base camp."

"You did not come back. We got worried and sent out a few of our rangers to find you," said the night elf.

"You did not think I could take care of myself?" asked Kelastrasza.

"Clearly we misjudged that you could," said Koela. She then motioned with her head in the direction of the campsite. "And what is the story with this twilight dragon? Why have you not killed it yet?"

"The twilight dragon is under my protection. I am taking him before Alexstrasza," said Kelastrasza.

"You would save yourself the trip to Wyrmrest by just killing it. Alexstrasza wouldn't let it live even a minute in her presence," said Koela.

"You are probably right, but I have my reasons for allowing him an audience with her," said Kelastrasza.

"And what of the furry creature?" asked Koela, looking over at Lily.

"She is joining us. This mortal has placed her full trust in this twilight dragon. Something that I have never seen a mortal do. She may be the voice of reason needed when this twilight dragon appears before the Life-Binder," said Kelastrasza.

"I see…," said Koela. She then walked up to Lily and offered her hand to the pandaren. "I am sorry I attacked you before I knew what was going on. May I ask your name?"

"I am Lily Silentpaw. I am just glad that no one was hurt," said Lily, taking the elf's hand and shaking it.

"I think I was the only one in danger of being hurt," said Koela, releasing her grasp on Lily's hand. "Your fighting style is something the likes of which I've never seen before. You moved like the air itself. Even our best elven warriors can't move like that." Hearing this, Lily smiled.

"I would be happy to teach you the basics of the windwalker fighting style someday if you'd like," said Lily.

"Perhaps, though I'm much better with a bow than I am in close combat," said Koela.

"Seeing as how the night elves are now looking for me, I would like you to return to the base camp and call off the search for me, then let Ysera know what is going on. I don't wish to keep her in the dark about this situation," said Kelastrasza.

"I can do that much. Again, I am sorry I attacked without knowing the full situation," said Koela.

"It is alright," said Lily.

"Now then, let us go back to the campsite," said Kelastrasza. Lily nodded her head in agreement. But as they headed back, a change had happened to Lily's judgment. Now she could trust Kelastrasza, for the red dragon had stood up for Cinder and herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lily shuddered from the cold despite herself as she rode atop Cinder's back, the violet dragon flying just behind the much larger form of Kelastrasza as the three crossed over the Dragon  
Wastes of Northrend. The trip to the northern continent had been rather uneventful for the trio of companions so far. It was nearing the evening hours at this point, the trip having taken most of the day.

"Not much longer you two. We should be able to see Wyrmrest Temple in a few minutes," said Kelastrasza as she looked back at the two friends.

"That is good. The cold air has been making it hard to hold onto Cinder," said Lily.

"Want me to go a little slower so it's easier to hold on?" asked Cinder, looking back at his rider.

"No, it's okay. I'd rather get back on solid ground again as soon as I can," said Lily. After a little bit longer, the silhouette of a large structure became visible on the horizon, towering over the frozen wastes in a way that made it look completely out of place compared to the rest of the landscape. "Is that it?"

"It is," said Kelastrasza as she slowed to a stop, Cinder flying up next to her as the red dragon turned back to face the others. "Okay…I thought I should warn you that I have no idea how the others will react to seeing you, Cinder."

"Will they attack me?" he asked, a nervous look washing over his face.

"I cannot say. But the fact that I am leading you there and will be calling out to not attack to the others as we approach should ward off that outcome," said Kelastrasza.

"That's not very reassuring," said Lily.

"Maybe it would be best if you go to the temple first and explain what's going on before I approach it," said Cinder. Kelastrasza thought about it for a minute, then nodded.

"Yes…That might be the safest thing to do," said Kelastrasza. She then faced back towards the temple. "I'll be as quick as I can be." With that, she took off in the direction of the temple, leaving the twilight dragon and pandaren alone again for the first time since the trio had crossed paths.

"I am worried, Cinder. I fear they won't listen to Kelastrasza and will come out in force to attack you," said Lily.

"I do not like it either. But as much as I hate to say it, we have to trust that this is the right course of action," said Cinder. After a few minutes had passed, Kelastrasza reappeared headed in their direction, another red dragon following her.

"So, this is the…thing you've brought to our temple?" asked the other red dragon, gesturing to Cinder as the two flew up next to him.

"Now that's rather rude," said Lily, scowling at the new red dragon, who looked a little surprised that a mortal would address a dragon in such a tone.

"Forgive her, she's not one to welcome strangers with open arms, especially someone like Cinder," said Kelastrasza.

"Cinder? Kelastrasza told me the mortal girl had named you, but it sounds like such a childish name," said the red dragon.

"And who might you be so I can insult your name?" asked Cinder, frowning at the dragon.

"I am Torastrasza, Majordomo of Queen Alexstrasza," said the red dragon, returning the frown.

"How original…All you red dragons have the same suffix on your names and you call my name childish?" asked Cinder, glaring at the red dragon.

"Please do not fight you two," said Lily, drawing both their attentions. "We did not travel all this way to be insulted, Torastrasza. And you, Cinder, should know better than to provoke another dragon at this point in time," said Lily. Both of them regarded her for a few seconds, then untensed.

"I'm sorry," said Cinder, looking away from the group.

"As am I," said Torastrasza. "You are right. You did not come all this way to be insulted by me. Kelastrasza has informed me of your business here. Frankly, I doubt Alexstrasza would let you live a minute in her presence after everything your flight did to this world and its citizens."

"Which, may I remind you, is why I asked the pandaren to come along," said Kelastrasza.

"It will still be a tough sell, Kelastrasza," said Torastrasza, looking over at the other red dragon.

"I know. But these two are willing to take that risk. I'd say that counts for something," she replied.

"Perhaps. I just hope Alexstrasza doesn't take her anger out on you for disobeying her orders," said Torastrasza.

"The thought had occurred to me, but I already told you at the temple why I made this decision," said Kelastrasza.

"Which is the only reason I even agreed to go along with this," said Torastrasza. She then looked over at Cinder and Lily. "As for you two, be warned that the dragons of the temple will be watching you closely. One false move and they will respond with force."

"Then we will not give them any reason to do so," said Cinder.

"Yes. We will both be on our best behavior," said Lily.

"Very well. Let us go," said Torastrasza as she faced the temple and started heading in its direction. Kelastrasza and Cinder started after her. AS they came closer to the temple, both Lily and Cinder noticed that several drakes and dragons from all of the surviving flights were patrolling the skies of the temple. As the group started to pass through their patrol areas, Cinder noticed that each one of them was staring at him with angry looks to their eyes, causing a ball of ice to form in the pit of his stomach as he began to wonder if this meeting had been a bad idea, his body tensing up in response to the thought.

"It'll be okay, Cinder," said Lily softly, realizing Cinder was being affected by all of the other dragonkin staring at him. Just hearing the words of his only true friend was enough to ease the anxiousness that had started to overtake him. the twilight dragon tension relaxing somewhat as the three dragons reached the large balcony on the northern end of the temple, landing with a soft flap of their wings, Lily dismounting Cinder after they were on solid ground.

"This is as far as I take you," said Torastrasza. "I wish you well in your meeting with the Life-Binder." Kelastrasza gave a nod before flames engulfed her body, the fire shrinking rapidly till it died out, leaving behind Kelastrasza's high elf form.

"You should become your mortal form, Cinder. The temple isn't really big enough to fit our kind in our true forms," said Kelastrasza. She then noticed that Cinder was looking away from her.

"I…apologize…But I don't know how to assume a mortal form…" said Cinder. Kelastrasza caught herself with her mouth open at the statement before quickly shutting it.

"It is a simple matter Cinder. Picture the form of a mortal in your mind. You can then channel your powers into reforming your body into what you pictured. It's the same way when changing back," said Kelastrasza.

"I'll try," said Cinder. He then closed his eyes, trying to picture a form to become in his mind. After getting a good picture, he began to channel his powers into his body. Almost instantly, purple flames engulfed him as his body started to shrink and warp. When the flames died out, a male high elf with black spiky hair, purple robes with gold trim, and green eyes that held a hint of purple fire behind them was in Cinder's place. "Is this okay?" he asked, looking over at his two companions.

"I think you look very nice," said Lily.

"Not bad for your first time doing that," said Kelastrasza. She then motioned for the two of them to follow her as she exited the balcony and started to walk across the large open space on the temple's top. As they crossed the large area, Cinder and Lily took notice that there were other mortal form dragons watching them. Most had the same fiery red glow to their eyes as Kelastrasza, but there were a few greenish, bronze, and bluish glowing eyes mixed in with their numbers. Returning their attention forward, they saw that at the far end of the room was a much larger female high elf than the rest of the bunch. But this one was definitely not a normal dragon's mortal form. This one had red and gold bikini armor with the same color armored gauntlets and boots. A necklace with a pink jewel was around her neck, a headband with matching pink jewels across her forehead, and topping off her look was a large head of red hair with two yellow and gray horns sticking out of her head. But it was her eyes that sent a chill down Cinder's spine when he saw them, for unlike the other dragons he had seen up to this point, this one's entire eyes were bathed in a fiery red glow instead of flickering in the backs of a pair of normal eyes.

Standing next to her was a male high elf and a male human that were both as tall as she was. The high elf was dressed in a gold and silver robe with blood red mail shoulder pads, was carrying a sword in his right hand, and had long flowing white hair. His green eyes held the same fiery glow as Kelastrasza's did. The human had rich blue hair and was wearing a simple light brown tunic and pants with dark brown boots and blue gauntlets. A blue cloak flowed down his back, his eyes shining a bright blue that matched the female high elf's own eyes in intensity.

"Let me speak first," whispered Kelastrasza as the trio walked up within a few yards of the three people.

"You have a lot of nerve bringing this filth to our temple," said the female high elf, a look of anger crossing her face.

"I can assure you, Alexstrasza, that I have a good reason for doing so," said Kelastrasza, looking up at the elf.

"I would like to hear this reason, Kelastrasza. My orders were very specific, and yet you disobeyed them," said Alexstrasza.

"My queen. This Twilight Dragon doesn't deserve the sentence you enforced on his brood. Not after what he has done," said Kelastrasza.

"What could this abomination to our race have possibly done to make you question my orders?" asked Alexstrasza.

"He saved a mortal's life. From the Twilight's Hammer of all people," said Kelastrasza.

"Even if he did, it does not make up for what his kind has wrought upon our world," said Alexstrasza. She then raised her hands towards Cinder, fire igniting on her fingertips. "He doesn't deserve mercy from us."

"Stop this!" shouted Lily, causing all of the dragons present to stop what they were doing and look over at the pandaren girl. Even Alexstrasza looked surprised by the sudden outburst, lowering her hands a little. Lily then took several steps forward, walking to within five feet of Alexstrasza herself, an angry glare cast over her face as she looked up into the Life-Binder's eyes. Alexstrasza quickly collected herself, her anger now focused on the girl in front of her.

"And who are you, mortal, to meddle in the affairs of our kind?" said Alexstrasza.

"I am this dragon's friend. He saved my life. And I will not sit by and let you kill him because you couldn't show mercy to someone who deserves it," said Lily.

"How dare you-" started Alexstrasza.

"I dare because I know what is right," said Lily, her interruption causing Alexstrasza to become shocked that a mere mortal would dare speak to her in such a tone as the other gathered dragons started to murmur between themselves. Lily then turned her back to the dragon queen, crossing her arms over her chest. "You call yourself the 'Life-Binder'…Yet you would snuff out the life of one who has never hurt anyone other than the people who were trying to kill himself and me. That makes you nothing more than a murderer." Around them, all of the dragons gazed up at Alexstrasza, waiting to hear her response to the pandaren's words. Both Kelastrasza and Cinder also waited with baited breath to see what the dragon queen would say. Alexstrasza wanted to say something in defense of herself, but even she had to admit that the mortal girl before her had made a good point. Lowering her hands to her sides, she gave a soft sigh.

"You are right…" said Alexstrasza softly, causing Lily to look back over her shoulder at the powerful Aspect of the Red Flight. "Who am I to pass such a judgment on someone a mortal would defend so adamantly."

"Then you are not going to kill him?" asked Lily, turning back around.

"It goes against everything I believe I should do, little girl. The Twilight Dragons were created by twisting the very minds and bodies of our unborn children with sinister magic that linked them to the Old Gods themselves. Their minds were especially affected by this magic, allowing the Old Gods to influence them to the point of them wanting nothing more than to obey their dark masters," said Alexstrasza.

"But if that is true, why do I not feel any such connection?" asked Cinder, speaking up for the first time.

"And how do we know you aren't simply putting on a charade to lower our guard?" asked the male high elf.

"I believe I can uncover if that is the case or not, Krasus," said the blue haired human.

"What did you have in mind, Kalecgos?" asked Alexstrasza, looking over at the human.

"I know a spell that Malygos taught me during the very early stages of the Nexus War, before I abandoned him. It was designed to enter the minds of our enemies to allow me to discern their thoughts, strategies, and intentions," said Kalecgos. "It should allow me to tell if the Twilight Dragon is hearing thoughts from the Old Gods or not, as well as determine what his true intentions are."

"That seems like a very invasive spell, Kalecgos," said Kelastrasza, frowning at the Blue Aspect.

"It is, but it seems necessary to put our worries to rest," said Kalecgos.

"If it will put your minds at ease, then I will not resist," said Cinder.

"Very well. When I start to channel the spell, you will feel a slight twinge in the back of your mind. Do your best to ignore it so that I may work as quickly as I can without interference," said Kalecgos.

"Understood," said Cinder. Kalecgos then closed his eyes and raised his hands towards Cinder, chanting a string of arcane words as he did so. As he continued to recite the spell, his body began to emit a whitish glow. A few seconds later, Cinder flinched as he felt Kalecgos invade his mind.

"Are you okay?" asked Lily, looking up at Cinder with concern.

"Yeah…It just tingles, that's all," said Cinder, doing his best to ignore the feeling. Nearly a minute passed before the white glow faded from Kalecgos' body, the blue dragon lowering his hands as he opened his eyes. Sweat was beading on his brow, his breathing slightly labored.

"So what did you discover?" asked Krasus.

"This Twilight Dragon…His mind and body are free of the taint of the Old Gods. They are both pure, never having had a magical influence exerted on them aside from what I just did," said Kalecgos, amazement clearly evident on his face.

"A 'pure' Twilight Dragon? But that makes no sense…" said Alexstrasza, looking back over at Cinder. "All Twilight Dragons were created by corrupting our offspring. How is this one pure?"

"I believe I can answer that," said a female voice from behind Lily, Cinder, and Kelastrasza. Everyone looked behind the three to see a large purple night elf with green hair, two tall and thin horns coming out of her head, wearing a green bikini armor with blue armored boots and gauntlets standing at the far end of the room.

"It is good to see my message got to you, Ysera," said Kelastrasza, a smile forming on her face.

"Yes. When Koela informed me of what you were doing, I decided to return to the temple to see this Twilight Dragon for myself," said Ysera as she started walking towards them. "Shortly before Ragnaros was banished back to the Firelands from Hyjal, one of my lieutenants made a startling discovery. The Twilight's Hammer had found a Twilight Dragon capable of giving birth to other Twilight Dragons. Naturally, we realized the threat this represented. If the dragons could breed without the need to corrupt our own flights' eggs, then their numbers would continue to grow without slowing down.

"Yes…A brood mother would be dangerous to keep alive," said Alexstrasza.

"We attacked and killed the brood mother with the help of our mortal allies and Aviana, as well as killed all the young dragons we could find and destroying every egg we came across," said Ysera. She then looked down at the ground, a pained expression crossing her face. "We should've known something was wrong…The young that we killed…They didn't put their hearts into fighting back…A few of my flight that were helping the mortals even thought the young twilights looked frightened…"

"Frightened?" asked Alexstrasza, a worried look passing over her own face.

"Yes…I was wondering why that was the case. And now, hearing about this Twilight Dragon that stands before us, I realized why they were scared," said Ysera. "They were pure hearted dragons…They weren't corrupt like we originally thought."

"By the Titans…" said Alexstrasza, looking down at the ground as well. "If they were innocent...By Galakrond's memory, what have we done? We murdered dozens of them, destroyed dozens of their eggs…"

"You didn't know," said Lily, catching the two Aspects attention. "While you can't undo what you have done, you can honor their lives by allowing Cinder to lead his own life, free of the persecution you give his brood."

"Yes…That is the only right thing to do," said Alexstrasza. She then turned to Cinder. "Cinder…Through your actions, the words of your pandaren friend, as well as the words of our own kind, I hereby make you an honorary member of the Red Dragonflight. We shall spread the word to every member of all the flights to treat you with the respect you have earned."

"Thank you, my queen," said Cinder, bowing to Alexstrasza. "I will do my best to not disappoint you."

"Welcome to the flight. If you ever need me for anything, I will do my best to help," said Kelastrasza, looking over at Cinder with a smile on her face.

"I will remember that," said Cinder. He then looked down at Lily with a smile. "And thank you for standing up for me. I am glad to have you as a friend."

"As am I Cinder," said Lily, returning the smile.

"Yes, Cinder. You have a very dear friend in this young woman," said Alexstrasza, drawing both their attentions to her. "I have never known a mortal with the courage to stand up to me like she did. It is very rare to find such a faithful companion."

"I know. I owe my life to her, and I will always stay by her side and protect her with my life. That is what I have decided to do," said Cinder.

"You're staying with me?" asked Lily, a look of surprise on her face.

"I am," said Cinder. "We will travel this world to our hearts' content, always looking out for each other while having as many adventures as we can." Lily smiled at the thought.

"Yes…That sounds like it will make for a very good tale to be told to those who want to hear it," said Lily.

"I wish the two of you the best of luck, though I wouldn't reveal your dragon form to the mortals Cinder. They probably won't see you as anything but a monster, regardless of your actions," said Alexstrasza.

"That is a good idea," said Ysera.

"I will remember that," said Cinder. The two friends then turned and walked away from the gathered Aspects and Kelastrasza, exiting the room as the other dragons watched with smiles on their faces. "So…Where should we head first?" asked Cinder as they reached the balcony they had arrived at.

"I would like to go to Stormwind City. I got to know King Wrynn and Prince Anduin quite well during my brief time in the city as the king's personal sparring partner and I wouldn't mind visiting them," said Lily.

"You've sparred with the leader of the Alliance?" asked Cinder, looking over at Lily with a surprised look on his face.

"For about a month. I was passing through the city, getting quite a few looks from people, when the King Wrynn rode by on his horse. When he saw me, he asked me if I could fight like the pandaren of legends. I told him I probably wasn't as good as the legends, but that I was well trained. Next thing I knew, I was giving combat lessons to him. His son never wanted a lesson, but his curiosity compelled him to get to know me fairly well," said Lily.

"Interesting…Then that is where we shall go," said Cinder, his robe igniting into purple flames that engulfed his body, quickly growing bigger before dying out as Cinder returned to his dragon form. Lowering himself to the floor, Lily climbed onto his back. "Hopefully we will find some excitement in Stormwind."

"Something tells me we will," said Lily as Cinder gave a flap of his wings, lifting off the balcony as he flew away from the temple. "I not sure why, but I feel like our destiny is awaiting us there."


End file.
